A Beer in the HAND...

July 2011

Falmouth, positioned in it's secluded and idyllic corner of the South West, is famous for all things nautical and being a tourism 'honey-pot'. But Falmouth is a town that's already started to make it's mark on the progressive beer scene, thanks mainly to one man and his bar.

The man in question is Pete Walker, owner and proprietor of HAND, a venue which is very clear what it's all about: a specialist beer bar.

"When we opened last year we had 18 world beers on offer – this has now grown to over 70, both bottled and on draught.” says Pete, who drinkers from the Leeds may recognise from his years spent at the city's legendary North Bar.

“I love all the local beers here in Cornwall but the main selling point of HAND is that we don’t stock anything that is familiar through over saturation. This means any UK beers we get in is because of some link to our world beers or events. Stuart Howe (Head Brewer at Sharp's) hosted a tasting of Orval / Monsieur Rock and several other beers, and Adrian Tierney-Jones discussed his Wallonian Saison, a collaboration with Otley, alongside a selection of their other beers. Any UK selection tends to be made to highlight our beers from the rest of the world.”

HAND is set in the surroundings of the former storage and stable-block of an old brewery. “The beautiful cobbled courtyard really grabbed me as outside space in the area is at a premium. It was formerly a South African restaurant, then a wine bar, then a cocktail bar with no real attention to its beer offering – quite mainstream, nothing you'd call special. That was the first thing we changed and are really reaping the rewards.”

From his time at North Bar, Pete was familiar with the comprehensive array of beers available through James Clay but, being some 400 miles away, getting the beers was always going to be an obstacle. The solution came from a conversation with Nigel Stevenson, a consultant with James Clay who is now living in the South West. “Nigel introduced me to the guys from Jolly's Drinks, a drinks wholesalers based in St Austell who James Clay also supply. I knew which beers I wanted for HAND and, together, we were able to work through the logistics and ensure that availability is never an issue.”

HAND is a family-friendly venue with plenty of outdoor seating courtesy of a lovely walled courtyard, a great spot for enjoying a beer on a warm summer evening. The bar also holds it's fair share of events - they recently announced an American Beer Festival in July, “We've confirmed Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch and Snake Dog, Anchor, Great Divide, Brooklyn and Goose Island breweries on draught, plus over 20 different bottled American beers including Left Hand and Sierra Nevada.”

“One of our goals is to promote world craft beer by hosting different events: these can take the form of tasting sessions focusing on specific styles, breweries or countries or talks from brewers or beer writers. We also hold several annual festivals – the American Beer Festival will be followed by our birthday bash and then Oktoberfest.

“When we announced the American Beer Festival on Facebook, we had a few questions wondering what it was all about and we had to set the record straight: we're not doing some homogenised, corporate alcofizz festival. This is a craft beer festival, showcasing the kind of incredible beers that some UK brewers are clamouring to replicate. These are fantastic beers, and we hope every beer lover here will come down and try the creations that are making the American brew scene the most exciting in the world!”

When asked which beers are doing well for Pete, he points across the 'pond', “If I had to highlight any particular beers selling well I’d say the American beers are causing a stir just because of how they alter people’s perceptions of what the USA are producing. They are putting out such a great variety of quality beers right now. Our customers love the selection of bottles we stock though, it is the Brooklyn Lager and Anchor Steam, both on draught, that sell so well. We Brits love a pint!”

With HAND being so succesful, it's easy to forget that there are still a few obstacles to selling craft world beers:

“Most newcomers to the bar ask 'have you got any beer or is it all lager?' We always try to find out what they normally drink and then match something to their tastes. Once you have your customers trust, they will usually discuss other beers with you and start exploring styles they may never knew existed.”

“One of the key things when selling world craft beers is to make sure the staff know something about it. When training staff, I find they will pick out their own snippet of information that they find interesting about each product. This then feeds into what the other staff learn because they hear what the others say to customers.”

What would be his best piece of advice to anyone looking to stock (or list a wider range) of world beers? “Have faith in the beer.  I stock beers almost exclusively from James Clay who source a wide selection of the world’s finest beers. James Clay’s advice is invaluable but the beers themselves will work for you. Customers are naturally inquisitive so don’t ever worry about craft beers not selling.”

We couldn't leave without asking Pete which are his favourite beers: “I tend towards the  darker end of the spectrum – something like a Rochefort 10. Recently I’ve been enjoying the Dog Schwarz from Flying Dog Brewery – a smoked double lager that is as refreshing as it is complex.”

HAND Beer Bar on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HandBeerBarUK